


Your little bit of stress

by unlikelybutton



Category: Naruto
Genre: Abuse, Action/Adventure, F/M, Falling In Love, Hope you enjoy, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kekkei Genkai | Bloodline Limit, Kirigakure | Hidden Mist Village, Konohagakure | Hidden Leaf Village, Medium Burn, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Quarentine life style, Revolution, Romance, We Die Like Men, Wordcount: 10.000-30.000, and all the places in between, mentions of weed in the begining, no betas, oh well, only in the begining, the begining is both me and sayori, umm i mean this ship tho hmm
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:00:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24140959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unlikelybutton/pseuds/unlikelybutton
Summary: After the third ninja war ended, many countries were left with holes in their hearts, and some like Kiri took it to new heights.Follow yourself, Sayori Kagami, as she finds out who she is, and who she wants to be with the help of her mother's sensei.Her path is long and tedious with more than one secret along the way.Can you really find it in yourself to know what comes next?
Relationships: Maito Gai | Might Guy/Original Female Character(s), Tsunade (Naruto)/Original Male Character(s)
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well hello there, this is my second shot at writing something for someone else other than my friends to read. Please enjoy.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing of naruto or Hitman reborn.
> 
> The plot is mine and is the idea for the name Sayori Kagami, tada

Prologue: 

You know that moment when you really feel that you're free when you have contact with the people you want to talk to at the end of your fingertips. That’s when I feel free when I can reach out and pull back, cliche as it sounds, it’s sorta like the sea. It’s mesmerizing sometimes when you think about how large the world is, every nook and cranny. It’s much bigger than I am at least, bigger than I'll ever be, and that’s where I want to be. My fingertips only dip into the world I want to know by hand, nothing that I was forced into.

That’s what's led me to all the places I’ve been, all the places I hope to be. I don’t want to be stuck in a society where it's okay to have compounds next to hovels, where evidence and people can disappear. Where we know but because we don’t have the power, we have to stay in place. An aquarium is how I like to think of it, encapsulated till our dying breath, but breathing in what. Propaganda? CO2? The ashes of others?

Off-brand is one way to place my thoughts, how political can you be without it hurting the governmental structure that your family has always known, all you ever will know. Unless there is enough to start a revolution, which I doubt will ever happen in my lifetime, pleasure from the small things is all the freedom I can have. 

The freedom I want unfortunately is locked away behind bills, the future my mother wants for me, and myself. I should be stoned writing this, my friends always say I get philosophical when I do, but I think it’s just me, how I feel. Sorta like drunk thoughts, but ahh a little more coherent to others. 

I could lol my life away, that’s where our dystopia stops me, I start to worry too much, start to think therapy is a good idea, and then it’s fine once more. Why am I here, at such an age, where it’s the whole world I have to worry about? I’m only 20, 20 and feeling like the world is closing in, using my imagination to getaway.

I and my friends sat down once, stoned to high heaven and we were talking about how to get lost, reinventing our childhood imagination. Letting the scenic routes take us away and that was about how far we got in that conversation. But It stayed with me, lingered and haunted me. It would be too easy to get lost and take my arm back away from the sea. Only to watch it drift and erode the coastline like it has been for billions of years.

And yet another thing that’s too big for me, the age of others, and the age of myself. It’s scary, but many of us already know that time is just passing by and even this week, I was convinced it was a Thursday when yet I’m here on a Friday. Something so small and inconsequential. Something that shouldn’t matter, so I’ll just tell myself it's okay and look out the window.

Nothing much to see though, dark dreary skies, impending doom. The regular.

I want to live a life I will remember, something that I can look back on. Not to have that scary feeling cruising fast over ice on the edge of my heel. The bottom of the mountain coming closer than I’d feel comfortable with. It’s what I really want, to have that simple feeling a carefree death. To explore the dangerous side of the world, and what can I say, recently meeting a man who does just that and more. It makes me jealous. It’s a truth that I have to admit. The adrenalin rush of the stories, I think I’ll have a hard time letting go, and of the place where we met.

And since it’s my first time out on my own without any adult supervision, the connection I have to that place, the people. They’re home, they are where my heart is, spread out all over the world waiting to be reconnected. My imagination brings me to times and places where they highlighted my life.

After everything I’ve been through, events I won’t repeat again, they are who I was waiting for.

By no means do I intend to tell them… I want them to figure that out on their own. It won’t be hard, but they will definitely know when I love them. The soul-crushing force that they hold over me, it’s getting a bit sappy.

I’m only 18. A planet was left to my generation by people who are leaving it for the final time. And I feel sappy, is it wrong that I hate it? Hate them? People who were raised to be like that, to kill us like that? They tell us to look through their eyes to understand in their time what was considered right or not, but I’m here. I’m here and I want to hate the place they’re in, the snowflakes they’re melting… for the good of the economy.

I want to imagine a world far away from here, a world where danger, the supernatural, where extranormal events are the norm. Memories that will be made because I wanted to, not because I had to.

A world where perfect can be taken down.

A world where anyone can be dangerous.

A world where I can break the norms and live free.

It sounds a bit wild… doesn’t it?

How's this for a book; a prologue that has the real-life within, waiting for the book to escape. That’s what I want to imagine like the author before me. To anyone who reads this, knows my name within the pages because it’s certainly not on the front cover.

I hope to write a book that takes traditional male media off the shelves and classrooms. I want to invent a new style where I can connect to others. To let them know it’s okay to dip their fingers in the water, to look into the sea. To be as young as you want, because does anyone reading this actually know anything about me?

If I wake up in the morning, the sun will be down, my eyes wide open, and fanciful delights surrounding my senses. Thinking of you, the reader, because what brought you to me?

If I’m being honest this isn’t that book, but I have hope to write something, and dagnabit I’ll do it.

Please enjoy, and If you have gotten this far, then you have a long road yet. Quarantine got me cruising for some kudos. Love ya fam and enjoy this rare pair, I guess? lol cause I’m having a great time writing it. 


	2. So life begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summaries? Can't be bothered, it's an adventure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I dont own naruto, or hitman reborn
> 
> I own sayori and the plot
> 
> lov ya

My father told me the night before that the next day, today, would be rough. I can not remember why only once did my head hit the pillow and when I awoke did I ever ponder. I reach to the side, grasping at nothing. I finally opened my eyes and went searching for the chair I placed many moons ago on my bedside. And once I found them and had my glasses sat on my brow, did I finally notice the burlap bag nearing the edge of my bed.

Looking at the bag, I tried in any which way to re-jog my memory as to why that would be there in the slightest. Crawling to the end of my bed, moving the single comforter on in for easier access, did I finally make a grab for it. I always hated these sacks, the burlap always leached on everything it could touch. 

Plucking a few strands away from the obvious garments inside did any type of thinking eventually come, today was the day. Little did I know that me forgetting that the choosing ceremony was happening, let me know that I’d be at the back of the line this year. Just perfect, Father would definitely be pleased, completely ironic by the way.

From the edge of the bed, I was able to swing my left leg to the side so I was able to get up and stand a little bit away. The dress that I was able to take out of the burlap was beautiful, much more eye-catching than the dresses my Father usually got me for this occasion. Last year and all, it’d do him some good with me sent away. Not like ever had a say in my own life, being a woman and all, the dress in front of me was the best option I had. It was a mask or rather a bandage to hold everything a bay.

“Tch”, the reaction she got herself to make made her pause,” No good doing that no more…” While she came from a prosperous village, it was her family that got her into this mess, the dress was a symbol of perceived normalcy, abhorrent to anything not normal. Simple pleats, simple teal colour, bland. Everything that she has grown up against. Normal was not in my blood, a Kekkei Genkai was. I thought it was special when I was younger. 

My mother and I would play for hours at a time while my father watched from the side with a soft smile on his face, our family being who we were to our core. That was the last time that happened. Taking off my sleepwear and letting it pool to the floor, let me take a step closer to the bed and the dress that would lock away my childhood for the last time.

When the new Misukage took over, it was supposed to be beautiful, it was supposed to be like diamonds along the coast. A special place for special people, Yagura made a sanctuary for people like me and clans alike, a country that had small nooks and cranny’s so we could be ourselves. Soft touches of beauty were found in those places and left nothing to warn of the horror that would eventually come.

It was no secret that Yagura was a Jinchuriki, one of the fabled prisons for the beasts, and we all still loved him as he was able to represent all these small tiny factions. Pulling the strings tight on the bust of my dress reminded me of the lynchings, the people part of the small factions of life that helped carry Kirigakure to heights above the Hidden Leaf. My own friends, my mother. They were beautiful and curious, now smudges on the boots of “Pure” ninjas who had forsaken their comrades for something they couldn’t help but be born with. 

I wanted to be beautiful again, not a teapot shattered on the tatami mats that were so frayed they may as well not be there. The pieces of me were broken and with this dress, my Father planned to sell me into slavery. One hell for another, I just wanted to go back to sleep.

Sliding on my sandals after I took my long hair out of the back of my dress, I looked in the mirror. It wasn’t pretty, my left eye seemed to be gaining some yellow tinge along the edges, both wrists were still tender, and the dress hid everything else. I smiled to myself, I think it was a gesture of good faith. I hoped someone would buy me this time. I was tired, so very tired, and just like the mat, I was frayed at the edges. 

My room still sparse, held nothing of value, nothing personal, and nothing telling anybody that anyone lived there. Just like my Father wanted, no last name, no history, no Kekkei Genkai, no me.

Well at least that was something we could agree on, I needed out, I needed to breathe for the first time in years. Who knew, maybe if I’m bought this season, they could see the use of my Kekkei Genkai. Maybe I could be myself, maybe I wouldn’t have to be scared of my Father any longer. 

Then again all this deliberation can only happen if someone wanted me, if I was worth anything. 

My sandals stuck to my skin only slightly, the humidity, no matter how long I’ve lived here, can’t stop the beads of sweat running down my frame. I was nervous, this was my last chance to get away from the Village of the Bloody Mist, and the one that bloodied me. I never had a pretty life past the third war, but did anyone?

Forcing my body to the door, I prayed once more to Kami that today was the day that everything changed, that even though I’ll be a slave, I’ll be free of the memories of my mother, and the “normalcy” of my Father.

And there I went, lamb to the slaughter pretty much in the small den. My Father sat in a formal manner on a cushion not too far away from me, I’ve been here long enough that I was expected to do the same, and the same I did. His eyes were not open, and I held my tongue.

It was not just physical abuse, I knew the difference from physical and mental pain. It all depended on how much farther my Father was willing to go during any given day. 

We sat together until my legs started to cramp from pain and neglect. Only then did he figure that it should be enough time to release me. Enough time to get to the auction without another word.

Over the many years of Yagura’s rule, cute and tiny shops ended up popping up all over the country, it was up to you to find out when and where something you wanted to buy was being sold. Those cute little shops included various instruments of bloodied design, information, watermelons, and slaves. You shouldn’t be surprised, all these ninja with a score to settle against people like me did have a weak point. Weapons of great merit did come out of the Third Shinobi War, and there were rumors that one of the Fourth Hokages Kunai could be floating around. Also watermelons, it’s in the name, isn’t it?

But I found myself 20 minutes later going down a path outside of the village where we lived to find the auction house that my Father and I have been walking back and forth from since I was 12. Now that I’m 19, absolutely nothing has changed. That rock jutting out of that small crevasse, good memories. Oh, that tree? Haha yeah, I’ve known her since she was a sapling. 

My friends, constants I could count and watch grow up while I walked this path of damnation. Not too much farther now, I could see the chicken coop from here, elongated and musty for maximum cliche slave trading. Now I would walk ahead of my father as I would be the offering, the white flag, so they don’t mistake him for a treasured product. My arms were held at my sides and I could feel the eyes watching me, watching the twitch of my nose, the tremble to my step. 

That step took me next to my Father and stood to take another until his hand came out in front of me. This had never happened before, the routine, the rules, the one thing I could count on. Father was a trained ninja, years of experience under the belt as one of Kiri’s finest behind the Swordsmen. 

The rules were that I followed my father to the letter and nothing “out of place” happened. So I was quick to retrace those two steps and stay securely behind him. I couldn’t risk today. As my Father lowered his arm, the only sound I could hear was my own breath. My heart was all I could take.

And like that, my vision was blurred as my arms ripped through the air and my neck seemed like a twig, that’s when it stopped when it no longer felt like I snuck a swig of sake from my Father when we were younger. It was when my back came in contact with one of the outcroppings of rocks that we passed a while back did I realize that my vomit was all over the ground, blood was decorated all over my dress, and no tears could be made. It was done, with all my might I turned my attention to the sounds of a fierce battle. 

It was not uncommon to hear the telltales signs of kunai clinking together where I lived, as we were just outside of the main village, we still had their protection as my Father was never born with a Kekkei Genkai. He would still train, and once in a while, I was able to walk past the training fields with him.

Ninja battles always interested me because in the time I saw a Tanto slide out a sheath, the battle was done. 

With startling clarity, as I pulled my back against the tree trying to support my broken body, I saw my Father. He was all I could see. The slick of his hair now matted around his face, a strong arm slackened to allow some give, and the powerful thighs squatted down. His right arm was angled behind him in the mock-up of some type of tail, pointed towards the man behind him. 

Extending from the back arm was my Father’s Tanto, swinging up in a rapid movement like a whirlpool to the other man who blocked with a parry. It was a deadly dance that was almost too beautiful for my eyes. The years of practice, the dedication, emotion, all things I knew about my Father.

It was those times when I was younger that I loved to watch him and my Mother train to their heart’s content. The strong arms and happy faces, the good times. It was unfortunate that I was never able to train with them. Watching the clothing they wore bend and wrap around them in skin-tight amour. That was what I was watching now, the dance of life and death. 

It was instinctual, whether that was bred in me or not, the battle was finished but I couldn’t tell who would win. The two Tanto’s danced, sparks were clashing, time was slowing down. The other man was dressed in clothing I had never seen before, I was aware that his move in a way my Fathers hadn’t. It was trust in himself and his personal possessions.

I finally figured out how the battle finished even before they did, the light was blinding me to the truth, to what I didn’t want to come true. Each slice, each drop of blood became polluted with the dirt around them, and the mysterious man was gaining the upper hand. With each slash, it leads my Father further down like a weight.

My eyes jutted from direction to direction trying to absorb everything I could while stuck against the tree, this was a fight for my life too.

I wasn’t able to do anything from the state I was in as I drew in a shallow breath, my eyes finally stopped being able to process the speed in which they fought. I let myself fall further into the lengths of the tree but I caught onto movement from my right, about 50 m out near the chicken coop. Men were pouring out of the building as they heard the sounds of battle, but very few were on par with the tenacious infamy that my Father held as a ninja. Keeping the stock they had was more important than two fighting shinobi and limp looking girl fighting.

Time and time again, women and children were pilfered from the building with nothing I could do. Rags hanging off their frame, no food in sight. Seems like I was looking in a mirror, but that’s the one thing I could do. The one thing I was proud of no matter how many times my Father tried to beat it out of me, was the pride I had for my clan and my Kekkei Genkai.

Have you ever looked in a mirror waiting for an answer?

I can tell you I have and there seemed to be the perfect spot available right in between some of the barrels they were loading, the handy matches they had for the darts they had while watching the auction were a kami-send. With a twitch of my index finger, a thin line appeared in the space behind some tall crates and extended so it was about my height and width, so the image reproduced just seemed like more crates.

It was my only shot, but then a figure emerged from the depths of the mirror. Just broken, was me struggling for breath. Shit, I had hoped it was nothing too serious, this had to be quick so she can go back home. Home to a place that without fail, mirrors the reality that I live in.

It wasn’t just me that I had to fight for, but myself… my sister on the other side. 

She already knew what to do and with how close she was to the inconspicuous barrels and matches, it was foolproof. Just looking at them you knew they were exploding tags, things my Father kept plenty of and knew him to use regularly. It was obviously something that his combattant was having a hard time with.

But with the match and some painful bending of the nails on the lid, both herself and the barrel, she threw in a match and tumbled back home. Hopefully the next time I would have to see her, would be when we were both healed. When my twin was healthy again, when I didn’t cause her pain.

That’s all I was able to ask for as a bright light took over my senses when I flicked my index finger for the last time. 50m came closer than anything I ever wanted to be next to again. My body once more shook with more than sobs.

The women and children, people who were just like me, gone. What was a mercy I would ask myself, I think this would be it. My life was enough to deal with on its own, but the broken dejected looks, the state of them was too much to bear. The life they would have had was nothing to what they would have been going through. I was unfortunately blessed as a young woman with above-average strength, something that was always looked over at the previous auctions. It was my Father’s plan to advertise those exact traits to any rich noble that came our way.

Those women and children had hard labor ahead of them, young or too old, it would be a nightmare to see who would have bought them.

Who would have bought me?

It seemed like a lifetime as painful gasps wreaked havoc through my small body, I had no idea what was wrong with me. My attention was ebbing from the battle and today, the day I hoped to be free was marred by the sight of my father falling to the ground in a heap of flesh as I had minutes previously.

His Tanto soaring through the air with pristine accuracy, landing in the hands of the other man. I looked to him, the pile that once was the bane of my existence, my only worry in life now was breathing. In. Out. In. Out. In.

I ended up coughing up blood, how unlucky for me to be left with the one mystery I didn’t understand.

My hands shook as he walked in my direction. Ears still ringing from the exploding tags, it was hard to make out the man himself, a broken mask was on his face letting me glimpse the torn red line from his left eyebrow, down the clef of the nose and through his lips. His hair was in a ragged updo and his heavy limp to his right leg let me know more than I guess he would typically care for.

I thought I had nothing left, tears were still able to stream down my face apparently. I don't want to die yet. Next to this tree, near that kami-forsaken cute little chicken coop, and definitely not next to my father. It sped up as he got closer, stopping just shy of my small feet. I couldn’t bare looking up into his single visible eye, but it was not my decision as my Father’s Tanto reached my neck and raised my head to look at him.

His eye was brown, nothing immaculate but definitely strong. He heaved his breath but his arm held steady. “Are you your father?”

I was most certainly not. I was human, he…. He was a monster. We were two sides of a coin, just like I was, nothing I could have done would have stopped him from creating me from his image. But I am not him… I could never be, he wouldn’t have helped those people, but I helped them in the only way I knew how.

I wheezed a small,” … n-never…” and that was all it apparently took. The man looked back once to the gore surrounding the entirety of the area. It seemed he did not notice the mirror appear and disappear along with the traders.

Fortunately, whatever journey laid ahead of me would have to do without. The strain on my body was all it took to fall away from the world. With the last tear falling down my cheek, I saw his eye soften.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There wasn’t much to the world I came to realize. There are motivations, deceptions, and the list could go on. But just like my mirror, human nature is shown in all of us, whether we can see it or not isn’t up to the viewer, it was up to the people around them to judge how their true selves were reflected. 

Small actions, large emotions, it’s all it can take for something to happen.

What makes up a person as well, how they smell, and how they take care of themselves. I was absorbing all this as I slowly woke up.

Warm was the first thing I felt, warmest in years, my head was soft too. Blearily I awoke to the smell of fish, which not unusual in Kiri, it wasn’t a staple of my Fathers. That had me on guard, the civilian I was, it garnered a laugh.

“Easy there, don’t mean to scare you but are you hungry?” The ninja I shared the space with had a soft voice, everything pointed to not wanting to scare me. Who was I to look a gift horse in the mouth?

As my vision cleared, it left a headache that I had never felt before, and the flicker of the small fire was making it worse.

“Hey now, hey look. Ahhh, wait I have some pain killers right here, here just give me a second. Oh please, you’re tearing me up girly, here ya go,” from the various pouches he had littered on his person, it took a second but he produced a single pill that he split with a kunai. “Can’t be having you taking shinobi doses, this is much safer”.

I looked to his hand and then back to his bare face. The long and jagged cut my Father gave him was bandaged up but not very well, with that the smile he had was what appeared to be genuine. He was a ninja and I was a civilian, if he wanted me dead I would have been already.

I reached out gingerly towards his own hand and picked the medication up bringing it to my eyes. Studying it for a second I figured it was fine, popping it in my mouth the man’s outburst startled me,” Oh damn, how rude, here you must be thirsty too,” Taking the extra leap, the man shimmied closer to plop a canteen in my hands that I devoured hungrily. After that, it was two cooked fish he offered up. Everything he gave me I ate like the starved man I was.

He was patient and took his time handing me food as tremours went through my body, I tried to keep my voice to myself but I had spent too long with only that man as company, that with a feeble “excuse me”, I gained his attention and then asked his name.

“Don’t ever worry about me, the name is Ryohei Sasagawa at your service. Missing-nin #1,” with that statement he took his right arm and gave me the most sincere nice guy pose that I ended up giving a small giggle, he smiled back,” Now that’s what I want to hear, gotta stay positive!” He gave another quick smile as he started to look through his flak jacket.

I was starting to get curious but I held my tongue until he was ready,” And here we go.” Was… was that it? In his left hand, he held a small scroll that looked to not be able to even contain a single passage. My head tilted in question, “Well you see here…. Uhh oh, that’s right, I never got your name?”

I looked to him, it’s been a while but since he asked, “ It’s -ah- Sayori…”

“Just Sayori?” It was innocent enough, but our previous encounter with my Fathers sword left much to be desired.

He was waiting for me, and I don’t know how he will react, should I use my clan’s name or my Fathers name? Whose side is this Ryohei on? What will he do once he finds out I have a Kekkei Genkai? What..

And that’s as far as I got, this man was reading my mind,” It’s either your father’s name or your mother’s, it just so happens that I know both”.

Fuck, well he already knew everything so, “ my… mothers…. K-kagami.”

With a simple “good”, he picked up and walked out of the overhang that he nestled us in, “ I met her once, your mother. Beautiful woman and damn good fighter,” he looked back,” she…. You, both deserved more.”

I had no idea what to say, this man who just freed her knew her mother, strings of the past was all I had left, and I ripped and tore until I had them all.

“Can you please tell me more?” it was a shot in the dark but this man has been nothing but kind, still though, ninja.

“As you wish,” his eyes crinkled pleasantly.

“As I said earlier, she was a fighter with a heart of gold, I may not look it but when she was younger I trained her in most of her ninja arts. It was an honor to have her as a student no matter if we were the same age or not. She was able to take flowers and make the most deadly of bouquets, wire to make the most deadly traps. I turned her into the hidden mist, a mirror master that had the likes of the other villages running scared. She was my greatest creation and will always be family. The stories I could tell, will probably tell, she was worthy of a bard that’s for sure.” 

It was more than a ninja trick, this was honesty, and I’m glad I was here to hear this,” If you don’t mind me asking but what happened?” It was digging at me, where was this man if she had never met him before if he and her mother were so close?

“Sayori, what you have to understand is that in this world, what people think and do, speak more about their character than anything they own. Your mother was worthy of a lot of titles but number 1, was being your mother.” He took a sigh and sat down on a nearby rock,” When your mother fell pregnant, that was when Yagura came to power, and I being the idiot I was, attacked, try to rid the one threat that could take her away.”

He looked pained, his expression was anything but pleasant, the world before I was born seemed out of place to what I know is real. His fist gripped his pant leg only slightly. “ I became a missing-nin to protect her and you, but look at the luck on that, eh?”

There was so much information I was trying to digest as he stood up, with so much there I started to lightly shake, but not with fear,” Where was my Father in all this?” But with anticipation.

“Your father? Hn, he was a man your mother met not long after I started training her, before Yagura, he was a powerful jonin that had many different masteries under his belt, he could almost rival the Swordsmen. His temper though, I’m sorry.” He looked at me, an emotion I couldn’t decipher behind his eyes. From where he turned off of the rock, he came towards me again but stayed a distance. “ It was after a night of sake that lead them to become attached. I was against it, but who was I to tell someone to not fall in love on a whim. To not make something as great as you, I was just as reckless in most respects. Damn woman learned it from me.” He said the last bit with fondness but then sat back down in the same spot he was standing in.

I can’t say I wasn’t disappointed, there was definitely a moment where I thought this man was my Father, anything to distance myself away from the monster who let me survive. I was willing to take anything, anything to stop my past, or give the possibility that there is something else outside of purging bloodlines and fanatical worship.

“I see, she must have been a wonderful person,” I met my mother and loved her as one until I was eight, but that didn’t cover who she was as an adult, all her accomplishments. “She really was…” It seemed Ryohei wanted to say something more but stopped himself.

“I’ll be leaving in a few minutes to do some hunting, can’t fall asleep on an empty stomach,” He looked to her with a slight grin, “ Are you alright to stay here for about a half-hour?”

“Yeah, I should be fine.” There was one more thing she wanted to say,” You know what you did, what you’re doing for me. Thank you…” A few tears escaped her right eye,” Thank you for everything.” She bowed her head, only until a hand rested upon it and ruffled her hair.” Kid, never thank me for this. I’m here now and the life you had before will never happen again.”

Those words appeared to be carved in stone as I looked up to him, he was my savior. I nodded rapidly as he left camp.

I crawled further in the shelter and closer to the small and quite cleverly hidden fire. So much has changed for me today. The dress that was supposed to cement my fate ended up being the only thing that stopped that very thing. The burlap strands seem so far away and yet it’s not even darkened out.

Playing with the grass around myself, I was able to make a few chains in the time that Ryohei was gone. He said a half-hour but I was never really good with keeping track in the first place, but with the sun setting, I knew much, much longer had passed. It was almost night, and I didn’t want to risk looking for him. Whatever had gotten him, can just as easily get me. It wasn’t a train of thought that I wanted to continue.

The shadows over the small fire gave me shivers even though it was fairly warm this season, time was ticking by and was not helping the situation. I knew the basics, but survival without Ryohei, I was going to be hard-pressed. 

The moon was set and so was my sleeping mat. I may as well spend the night here under the cover then pick up in the morning if he isn’t back. I can’t stay here forever and I’m still in Kiri, two very important things on my list that I had to get rid of. 

As long as I am the I was born, I can never live here again. That was a sentiment by most people and their clans when their way of life was threatened. Survival was of the upmost traditions spread here. The spirit of Kiri is all around us, in the fog and in the water we drink. We are the breath of Kiri and no megalomaniac was going to stop me from running away and being who my mother wanted me to be.

And As I thought silently to myself, the nature and skies around me were like nothing I’ve ever seen. Sure I have gone and laid down in the yard when I was younger, the thing is though is that when you live in Kiri, fog is all we know. One of the defenses of the village but it becomes tedious to experience anything else as a civilian.

My eyes were finally drifting close as I listened to the crickets and the soft sound of the wind blowing through the trees. Then once more, all there was, was silence.

The crickets stopped, while not anything major, I listened well to what my mother taught me. Very few ninja were ever able to get passed insects and have them continue as they were. It comes down to Kage’s and Sanin at that point. So what was I going to do with this information? Wait for a twig, like that one.

A light snap sounded in the small area that Ryohei had set up for us. There wasn’t much else I could do, I picked my self up as quietly as I could and twitched my index finger. The elongated mirror from before showed up again and looking into it, I had no reflection. ‘Perfect’, stepping through to the other world, I twitched my fingers again and the mirror closed up until only a small gap remained.

I looked at my side as I saw myself looking back. We were the only ones able to use this world, and that was just how we liked it. Nodding to keeping quiet, I turned and looked through the mirror again.

The light twig snapping wasn’t the only sound coming from the campsite, it sounded like earlier that morning, swords and jutsu being thrown around like party favours. I closed the mirror even further because I had no idea who was out in that clearing, and it was about time I found out.

Smothering the fire in the mirror world, I couldn’t risk having an unknown see my mirror and the light flickering from it. Another twitch of my fingers and the sliver floated over towards the entrance of the camp. What I saw astounded me. Ryohei was in the battle against three others who looked to be Hunter-nin, go figure.

There wasn’t much I could do but help where I could. As in not get involved and play with my mirrors for the first time in years. The action always came so naturally, a twitch here and a finger lunging there and tada, you have skewered yourself through the mirror. May as well exercise.

  
  


Watching the battle, I was able to see small openings when the three ninja took their turns attacking and redirecting Ryohei’s Tanto. And there! With a twitch of my left hand, the earth bending Hunter-nin had his foot fall through a small mirror, and then with another sharp movement, the foot was severed.

It was agony, the scream that tore through the camp was unlike anything I had heard before. The practice that Ryohei had with my mother a lifetime ago came in handy as he didn’t even question it. It was one man his attention could turn from. His Tanto was gliding over the air and was finding it’s mark.

Folding into a handspring, his legs grappled one of the other hunter-nin that Kiri had. With a thrust upwards, he followed through and as they bent into a ball, taking his Tanto and stabbed it underneath the ribcage. Done, next one.

She knew it had to be done, there wasn’t another option. Earth benders were notorious for being able to bounce back. Her Father had told her that on a few unsavory occasions. They were the bain of sword users.

With another hesitant flick with one immediately after, sliced the back off the ninja, including his spine. The lack of screaming was more jarring than the constant noise they were making.

I had to sit down and immediately started to cry. I held myself and she held me. I had never taken a life before and the human fillet in front of us in the mirror world made me gag. 

A small gasp made the clearing silent once more. Not even bothering to look over at the unknown earth user, he knew that Sayori used her mirrors. His focus now was the water user that was able to toss water bullets around like they were going out of kunoichi fashion.

With a grunt he let one hit his bicep to catch up to the long-range user. Throwing hand signs down he shouted, “ GANPEI NO-JUTSU,” just after a massive rock wall came between him and the water user. In another instant, he was underground faster than the water bullets could follow. Reaching up with practiced ease, his hands came around the ankles of the last man, taking him deep within the depths of the earth and using his Tanto to finish the job.

With another hand sign, he was once more on the surface.

Soon after consoling each other, the noise from the sliver of the mirror had stopped. “Ryohei?” I called through the small connection. “Sayori! Where are you, I’m here!”

There was nill to none who knew my name, and I twitched my fingers to open up the connection. Stumbling through, I gave my twin a sad smile and a soft, “ Thank you,” in goodbye. Looking at Ryohei after the hours he had been gone let me know more than just hunting for rabbits happened.

“I’m so so very sorry, I was almost back when they caught wind of me.” Opening his hands up from the fists at his side, he looked broken,” I tried as long I could but they found the camp,” Running a hand over the shoulder-length hair, he came to sit next to me,” Sayori… I am truly sorry for you to have ever needed to help me. I know you have never done anything quite like this and from the deepest depths of my heart, thank you.”

He was serious as he was saying this, ever word was law and he planned on honoring it.” I saved your life and you saved mine, if you were ever one for life debts, then yours is filled.” He stood to his feet and walked back outside to the battleground intending to cover up the evidence.

With a quick movement, I was to my feet running at full tilt, bringing me to Ryohei. I hugged him for all I was worth, feelings I had been bottling up for years letting loose,” I feel pathetic…. Thank you, Ryohei.”

He turned his body in my grasp and bent down slightly, “Sayori, without you I would have had a much harder battle ahead of me. Without you, I might not be here.” Ruffling her stray hair again he continued,” You used your family’s abilities to help me, that’s amazing! You are able to do things that no one else can, be proud of that. Hey kid, look at me.”

Instead of the Tanto at my neck, it was a rough and calloused finger,” Your mother would be proud. If you need to talk anything through, I can help you learn how to cope, become a……. Civilian ninja?” He twisted his head up in thought, but it was more sarcastic towards the term rather than the actual work.

All my tears and snot were running down my face, I felt like a disaster but his words were helping and a giggle escaped the wreak I was. “Y-yeah… I’d like that please.” With another disgusting and tear-filled smile, Ryohei and I parted and he held my shoulder as he walked me back to the shelter. “Stay here for a bit, I’ll be just outside cleaning everything up… and if you want I can clean up the other side for you.”

I looked to him in confusion for a second, but then it clicked. I never really referred to the other side, as well, the other side, it was more my twins home. “Oh yeah, do you want to do that right now?”

“Actually, does your partner mind if I leave it for last, It’s just that the front is more at risk for discovery.” Twitching her fingers again, a mirror popped up in front of her, looking into the other set of eyes,” Do you mind if it takes a second for the parts to leave?”

Ryohei looked at me in befuddlement, parts? That must have been what caught him. “Sure, but please hurry. It’s starting to smell.”

“I will be over in five minutes, I promise.”

Looking back into the mirror I waved to my twin as I told Ryohei what she said, and then left to clean up. I looked back at her, it has been years since we could look at each other like this. My Father banned the use of my powers, and the attachment I had to her only grew. At night when it was bad, we held hands hoping for something better.

Sitting down and guiding the mirror to me so it was lined up at my right side, we did just that. It had been such an emotional day that just sitting and holding on to each other was what we needed.

The connection we share is far stronger than any other bond you would ever find. We were the same person ‘til the last strand of DNA. The Kekkei Genkai that I have works in weird ways. I’m able to use the mirrors to block, absorb, and spy. The major boon to this is the sister that I have that comes with it. To be able to control mirrors, you have to become one. It’s unknown how far back this technic goes, but it has been around as long as anything in Kiri, passed on by my mother’s sides of the family.

My formative years instead of becoming a ninja, was spent honing my abilities, our abilities. With no interaction with kids my age, my twin and I were all we had. It helped to have two mothers to be able to explain to both of us.

I had a sheltered life, hidden away from the village, away from the normal people. I never experienced much so the both of us couldn’t bring ourselves to watch him clean so we just sat still. Hands still held.

This time as promised he came back after 5 or so minutes. With no blood on his person, we figured that he had changed as well. Coming to sit down in front of us he took his time before talking again,” While I was cleaning, I had a thought.” Adjusting where he sat he continued,” I am obviously a Nuke-Nin. I am a person that should not be allowed near you guys or any other civilian for the trouble I bring with my status.” With quivering eyes, we looked to him in tandem, but he held his hand up so he could continue.

“With me being as I am, I’m unsafe for you. So I had an idea,” He smiled his big smile,” How about we join a village! Ya know sell some of Kiri’s secrets, start fresh, get comfortable, and you could get away from this country.”

It was a shock to the system that was for sure, another… Hidden village? Or a smaller still in need of ninja community? “I know this is fast and we just met today, but this a chance I think we could take. Start over and I can help your mother from where she is… uhh and support you and stuff.” He raised his arm up and started rubbing the back of his head bashfully, this was certainly something he had never done before.

To this moment, he had never done anything to me in bad faith, he was there protecting me and caring for me after the disaster early this morning. My twin squeezed my hand, and I said,” I’d like that.” It was soft but it got Ryohri to stop stuttering and look to us in fascination,” Really??, I mean yeah, uh no worries. We all got this!”

It left a smile on his face the rest of the night, even after he went into the mirror world with us following to pick up the rest of the mess. Wishing my twin a goodnight, I sealed off the mirror world for the time being, until I needed it next of course. Then it was off to sleep, and boy did I ever sleep like the dead.

Waking up had me in a daze, looking around not recognizing anything. Scurrying towards the back of the shelter, brought my eyes to the only other occupant in the room. A man who looked like he was in his mid 40’s with brown hair.

He was eating and watched me as I planted my back to the wall, “ Good morning, Sayori.”

My head whipped to his eyes as he spoke, who would use her name….” Ryohei! I… I’m sorry, I forgot where I was.”

“Nothing to apologize about, it can happen to anyone. Are you alright?” By now he had placed his ration bar down a looked to her with concern. “ I am, it’s just I thought I was… back there.”

“That’s a perfectly reasonable thing to be scared of,” He looked down then up again,” We all have our demons and I’ll be here to talk to, Okay? No pressure obviously but uhh.” He had started fumbling over his words again which made me smile, “ Yeah sorry, no pressure.” I nodded and he tossed me one of his spare ration bars.

From where I sat in the shelter I could see on top of his compactable table. On it was a map of all the nations and their towns. “Now that we’re all sorted, I had an idea.” With a flip of his hand, a kunai appeared,” How about instead of running about and worrying, let’s play a game of luck. You can take this Kunai and throw it at random and that’s where we’ll go,” It seemed like a good idea, I’m no good with anything that wasn’t my Kekkei Genkai, and who knew where we’ll end.

“Alright!” I was getting excited, our future was about to unfold because of the simple knife he had in his hand. Walking over, he held the hilt then in a flash he held the blade. Taking the handle in my right hand, he picked up the map and hung it up by a tree using some metal clips he had. You can’t exactly find maps of all the hidden villages and their towns by chance anymore, so he was taking precautions so not a ton of it ripped. Besides, it’s not the first time and he has had to mend the map before. Even if it was memorized, It never hurts to have.

After he was done setting up the map, he bowed away with a grin,” All up to you now m’ lady,” I stuck my tongue out at him then turned to the map. I had no idea where I wanted to go, I’ve never left the village beside’s the seasonal trip, so my nerves were, to say the least, frayed more than Yagura’s sanity.

And a one, and a two, and a three.

And like that, the kunai was in the air. The map was close enough that I wouldn’t miss, but even with my lack of training, I wouldn’t be able to aim.

With a loud “THUNK,” the world was clear again, now with a destination in mind I looked to Ryohei. He nodded,” To Kumo, it is then.”

I’m still getting used to talking to someone other than my Father again so some of my humor may be off, but when something so innocent turns deadly because of a woman scorned, you can’t help but laugh. Both our asses were out of Kumo in record time when it just so happened that Kumo’s Jonin Commander was in town.

Turns out if you leave in the morning without a goodbye, you don’t really get to live. Forfeit life here, please. It made me laugh again, my life was so slow compared to the rest of the world, this was the most entertainment I had in a long time. 

Ryohei, on the other hand, huffed and stomped away. Someones a spoiled sport.

“Hey look, we can just go someplace else, not that hard.” I was confused by his funky attitude,” But Saaayyyooorrriiii, you picked that place and I had this great idea and fun plans for a little bit of treasonous activities against Kiri.” He was mopping, got it.

“Look there is the rest of the world we can go to, see look here,” I was pointing to a town in Iwa,” That seems like fun, ohh look here, Yugakure. I bet it’s beautiful there.’ He cut me off. “It really is beautiful there, I’ve been, but we can only get there with an escort.” Now I was all moppy.

“Alright, how about this. Konoha.” I looked to him in question, even if it was the biggest village, would they accept me?

“Konoha has a long tradition of housing clans and supporting them from the bottom up. You would be able to go and actually apply for clan status even if you were on your own. They really prize hearing the voice of others and small factions like your self count.” He tapped me on the nose with that,” And besides, what can a bunch of tree huggers do against us tough guys, eh?”

Like before, I know I have a sense of humour, and it just so happens that Ryohei brings it out in me.” Why do I know we are going to regret that?” I looked to him with a shake of my head and started to help pack away the shelter we had set up the night before.

“Besides regretting things, on to other news. We are nowhere in The Land of Frost, just a jump to Hot water ( we can look around near Yugakure for fun ), and bam, the Land of Fire. From this point here,” he poked along the border of Hot Water,” from any point really, we can head over to the roads leading to the leaf.” I stopped by taking down the overhang, “ What’s quicker?”

“Well that’s the question isn’t it, it depends mostly on the ninja in the area. So we could go weeks at a time and be fine and then the place could be crawling with them, not so good for either of us.” Nodding his head back and forth,” Me being well… me, and you as a civilian would be questioned and don’t get me started on your abilities.”

“But I thought-”

“Yes, I was right in saying that no other country was like Kiri in the way that they are purging Kekkei Genkai users, but no matter what village we go to, your abilities would be hoarded away for the betterment of the village. You see you and everyone who has been given similar gifts, are prizes to be had for the ninja forces in each country.” He turned to help me take down the rest of the camp after rolling up and sealing the aged map.” It is completely your choice to keep your abilities a secret, for all valid reasons, but you will definitely help endear us to them, or rather Konoha if that’s what you decided?”

“I’m perfectly fine with going to Konoha, as long as there aren’t any more ‘dalliances’ to be had,” He almost coughed to stop her from that embarrassing train of thought but she carried on,” And I think I want to keep my clan hidden, for now, It just seems like the best thing for us at the moment, without the added threat, while we can get to our new home even sooner!”

He looked to her as she stared off imagining Konoha,” It’s going to be a long trip, make sure everything gets packed, chop chop.”

Little did I know while I was working, but Ryohei’s gaze kept drifting to me. ‘ Her mother would be proud… Touko, I’ll be here while you can’t. He’s dead now and there’s nothing in her way. Kiri will live on in her.’

With all our belongings packed, Ryohei leads me to a path near one of the main roads out of Frost. This journey leads us to see countless places, beautiful sights and we were able to use quite a bit of time in training for both of us.

I was able to use my mirrors for longer amounts of time and more accurately open up to my twin. Ryo really pushed the idea of becoming one with my mirror, he said it was what my mother was working on for years. The pinnacle of my abilities will be able to let my twin control my world too, knowing when and where and being a few steps ahead. Years of training, and mistakes later he says. It all sounds very cool, but the way he is talking seems to allude to menial labour. I might want to rethink this partnership.

Ryohei was able to work on an entirely different style with his Tanto. While we were walking through The Land of Hot water, someone… dropped? A scroll and we ended up saying finders keepers. Some example he’s setting out for me.

But it was when we were nearing the centre of The Land of Fire, did Ryohei put up his full guard. In hushed tones, he spoke lowly,” Now that we’re getting closer to the village, make sure you never speak a word of Kiri, that’ll be my job when I meet with the Hokage. If one of the tree huggers get excited it could mean bad things for us.” I nodded in understanding.

“What do we talk about?”

“Great question young pupil! Anything but Kiri. legitimately, oh and Kumo, Iwa, and your clan. We may as well train and recall everything about Hot Water.” The blasted man said this with a skip in his step, well I’ll show him.

As our bickering lasted the day, it brought us closer to the village. At this point in the journey, the road we were on was a direct connection to Konoha, so no more turning and looking at an impossibly large map. The foot traffic was picking up too, now every so often there was a caravan of merchandise or small groups of people coming through and passing us with informal greetings.

If anyone did want to just stop and chat, Ryohei humored them but we always eventually got on our way to the gates.

On the last day of travel, my feet were killing me, I had a headache, and it was a dry heat. Nothing to what I was used to, and I wanted to be petulant so badly but I didn’t have the energy to spare, dragging my feet at this point to keep up with Ryo was all I had left. 

That was until I heard a shout from just in front of me, In alarm, I looked up, the shout was Ryohei. In the distance, it was hard to tell, but it was definitely the gates! I ended up giving a quick shout too. Finally, we made it, after kami knows how long. Our pace quickened, and the gates were in our sights.

Coming closer to the gate you were able to see the Hokage Mountain. It was beautiful, the entire village was, and that was just from the gates.

Once we got up to the Chunin on duty, Ryohei pulled me close to him as the guards were looking at us.

“I, Ryohei, missing-nin of the Mist, would like to speak to your Hokage about important matters pertaining to our stay here.” With a quick glance at me and the guards, he reached slowly into his flak jacket to pull out his old headband, primed with a slash.   
  


The two Chunin on duty just felt like they got thrown into the jungle of death. It was half because of the unknowns in front of them but also the fact they had to actually do work. Don’t get them wrong, they do it all impeccably, but the type of paperwork that the two of these people brought, they winced in tandem.

Curious, I looked closer to the two of them, were… were they twins too?

After the initial paperwork was done, the guards gave a signal and two others appeared from the shadows. I was startled but Ryo, strong as ever grinned again,” Well let’s get onto it then, Konoha awaits.”

  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wowza, am I feeling creative juices?

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote 10000 words of trash in one day, thats a record.


End file.
